The Skin Cancer Foundation predicts that there will be about 9,710 melanoma deaths in the United States in 2014. This is not a statistic that we like. Slathering on the sunscreen is a great place to start, but...according to a new study, it alone may only delay the onset of melanoma. Not prevent it. A recent study by the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute exposed mice to UV radiation. Half of the mice wore sunscreen; half did not. By the end of the study, the mice without sunscreen developed melanoma—but so did the mice with sunscreen. The big difference was in the timing of the disease: The mice without sunscreen simply developed melanoma earlier. What does that mean? Sunscreen alone may not be enough. That's why Richard Bezozo, M.D., president of MoleSafe (a melanoma screening and surveillance program combining total-body photography, digital dermoscopy, and digital serial monitoring), suggests these other preventive measures to take—while still applying sunscreen, as you undoubtedly are. Combining them just might mean a huge difference. Wear protective clothing. "Covering up your skin is the most straight-forward approach to avoiding skin damage from sun exposure," he says. "The sun produces UV radiation at all temperatures, so it read more

You know that it's important to keep an eye on your moles, regularly checking them out with the ABCDE method to catch the early signs of melanoma and skin cancer. But two new studies are suggesting that the presence of moles may also be linked to something entirely unexpected: breast cancer. In the two studies (that were performed separately, by different sets of scientists), researchers discovered that there seemed to be a correlation between the number of moles a woman had and her risk for breast cancer. For one of them—by the Indiana University Simon Cancer Center—74,000 women nurses in the U.S. were asked to count the number of moles on their left arms. Twenty-four years later, nearly 5,500 of them were diagnosed with breast cancer; women who had the most moles were 35 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than those who had no moles. Meanwhile, another study followed 89,000 French women since 1990. Those who reported many moles were 13 percent more likely to develop breast cancer. The study authors stress that these findings are still preliminary, and there's still lots of research to be done—but some experts are speculating that estrogen may be playing a part read more

Today is Melanoma Monday—not exactly an occasion to break out the cakes and party times but definitely a time to learn more about the most serous type of skin cancer with which about 77,000 people in the United States are diagnosed every year, according to Dr. Richard Bezozo, president of MoleSafe, an advanced melanoma screening and surveillance program that combines total-body photography, digital dermoscopy, and digital serial monitoring. And here's an even scarier stat: One person dies every 57 minutes because of melanoma. So, with that in mind, let's take a look at some of the surprising things that you might not have known about this deadly cancer—and, on the upside, some good ways of decreasing your risk. 1: Melanoma can occur any time of the year. "The lack of warmth in the winter does not suggest that your skin is safe from the sun and hence does not reduce the chance of developing melanoma," says Bezozo. In fact, during the winter, UV rays are intense on clear and cloudy days. "Due to the sun’s reflections off the snow and conditions that occur at high altitudes, be sure to apply a sunscreen that blocks UVA and UVB radiation when you read more

What kinds of medicines or supplements do you take in a day? If a daily dose of aspirin is on your list, you might be interested in the results of this new study. According to an analysis of the Women's Health Initiative observational study, postmenopausal women who took aspirin regularly reduced their risk for melanoma—and the longer they took it, the lower their risk (researchers found that women who took aspirin five years or longer had as much as a 30 percent reduction in melanoma risk). This is cool news, because lots of other research has shown that aspirin might be associated with decreased cancer risk in certain kinds of cancers, like gastric, colorectal, and breast cancer. And while the researchers underscore that these results apply to their test subjects—all older white women—they also say that the findings are an exciting piece to the puzzle. Obviously, like any medication, there are benefits and risks to taking a daily aspirin, and you should really do it only if your doc tells you to. Do you take aspirin? What's your medicine cabinet like? Photo: Thinkstock read more

You know what's really great? Finding out that something doesn't increase your cancer risk. And, today, we just so happen to have one of those somethings. A study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology has found that the UV lamps used to dry gel manicures don't cause skin cancer--something dermatologists have been concerned with for years. In fact, the researchers for the study say that it would take 13,000 to 40,000 drying sessions under the lamp to raise your risk of getting skin cancer. That works out to one gel manicure per week for the next 250 years. The researchers say that gel manicure lights use narrowband UVB rays, which are the same kind used to treat skin conditions such as psoriasis. Yay! How nice is it to hear that this doesn't cause cancer? More on skin cancer: * Wearing ski masks to prevent skin cancer * One woman's addiction to tanning * The unbelievable change the sun makes (this photo is a must-see!) Photo: Thinkstock read more

An animal study done by a team at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston suggests that the fairness of natural redheads (which means they have less natural protection from the sun) isn't the only reason why they are more susceptible to skin cancer than people with other hair colors. Seems that the the pigment responsible for the colouring has a role in the development of melanoma. read more

Hey, so, can we take a quick break from Fashion Week frivolousness to focus on something more serious? Just for a minute, promise! So clearly we know you ladies love to polish your nails, but have you ever taken the time to check them for melanoma? This Glamour reader's scary story--and a dermatologist's sobering tips/pics--will make you want to stop and do it right now. read more

Dermatologists recommend a once-a-month skin self-check to see if you've developed any new moles, or if any of your old ones have changed. Know what can sometimes be a little bit problematic with that? read more

OK, I'm not trying to be a hypochondriac or make any of you turn into one, but I want to talk about this today. The cancer I fear (other than the one I already have) is skin. My body is a minefield of moles. I've had so many taken off and there are so many more that need to go. In fact, I better call my derm today. Seriously. As a redhead with fair skin, freckles and at least a few childhood burns under my belt I'm a prime candidate for melanoma. Oh, and once you have one type of cancer, you're automatically at a higher risk for others. Sweet! It's not like I lie awake at night worrying about skin cancer, but read more